It has been suggested in many quarters that Swazi journalism has transformed over the years; that it is slowly holding its own against other well established professions. One of the reasons suggested for this growth has been the formalisation of journalism training, the regulation of the industry, among other initiatives, which has brought some respect for the discipline. There have also been attempts by media houses, especially editors, to recruit qualified reporters and writers. This move seeks to break the old tradition of filling newsrooms with high school leavers, many of whom struggled to express themselves.

While some good scribes came through the ranks of the old system, many proved to be a liability to their employers and the profession due to lack of training, among many weaknesses. The old system was sustained for these key reasons - it was cheap for media companies to recruit untrained writers and the industry was not regulated hence employers were at liberty to do as they pleased. They could set the lowest standards ever and get away with it. There has, however, been a shift in the Swazi media industry in the last 8 years or so. There have been attempts to transform the industry. With the Swaziland government having taken an interest in setting standards and conditions, there is growing recognition of the profession. Journalists themselves have recognized the need to restore some respect for their trade. The newly established Wages Council should set minimum standards across the board.

Alec Lushaba, acting editor at the Swazi Observer, and former president of the Swaziland National Association of Journalists, feels that attempts to salvage the pride of the profession are hampered by many challenges. He agrees that journalism has improved as a profession and that it is beginning to get the recognition it deserves from government and the public. The challenge, he argues, now lays with journalists themselves and their employers. "Journalists have to carry themselves in a professional and respectable way; that is how they will be viewed and evaluated by their employers and the public. Some journalists tend to sell their souls to certain individuals in return for material favours, and this is how people will see us as journalists." Employers too have a challenge, adds Lushaba, "to improve the conditions of service in the newsrooms".

Training has become a critical issue in the Swazi journalism context. With editors complaining that 'educated' journalists add very little value to the newsroom as most come with heavy theory and no experience, focus is now on the quality of the training aspiring journalists go through. A graduate of the University of Swaziland's Journalism and Mass Communications (JMC) programme and former sports reporter, Khaya Mavuso, feels that there is a need to align the university syllabus with what actually takes place in the newsroom. He says most graduates from the University of Swaziland who have no experience tend to struggle both in class and in the newsroom where the dynamics shift. "Students of the JMC programme need to be exposed to some of the activities of a real newsroom early in their studies. They need to have hands-on experience in reporting, writing a news story, photography and related activities to prepare them for the newsroom. They can do this by producing a newsletter and some radio or TV broadcasts for instance."

Lenhle, a journalism and media studies graduate feels it is important for journalists to go through academic training. After all, says the Wits graduate, journalism today is more than just reporting. "Journalists now need to analyse and unpack complicated issues, apply different theoretical perspectives in local and global issues. They are no longer the only sources of information; they compete with other sources and they need to be a step ahead. Also Swazis have now become more educated and informed than, say 20 years ago. How then is a high school leaver expected to package a business, science or economics news story for economics professors, financial analysts, bankers and scientists? Clearly, they will be disadvantaged if they lack an understanding of the dynamics of these disciplines," she notes.

One of the most pressing challenges to the profession is brain-drain; newsrooms continue to lose experienced and influential journalists to other professions such as public relations. This makes employers reluctant to invest in their staff, as one small media operator told me. There are no guarantees in this industry that one will be retained. "This is business, you see, and you need assurances that your investment will bring in the returns," he says. Lushaba, however, challenges employers to improve the conditions in their newsrooms if they are to retain their staff. "Journalists themselves also need to convince their employers of their worth if they are to get the respect they demand. We also need strong visionary leadership among journalists' organisations to drive the transformation of the profession."

Amidst all the challenges of training, professionalism and job retention the profession in Swaziland is gradually transcending. It remains to be seen just how high the new breed of trained journalists operating in a favorable environment, can take it.

© 2007 all rights reserved. This article may be republished online as is. Get more interesting Swazi articles from infoshopswaziland.com For print publication, please contact info@knotell.co.sz info@knotell.co.sz

Journalism, a growing vision in Swaziland